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May 10, 2010

Grand Island 'Klocks' Lew-Port

By Doug Smith Niagara Gazette

GRAND ISLAND —

Grand Island’s Joel Klock weathered Lewiston-Porter’s “double-trouble” attack, winning 2-0 in a brilliant, 80-minute pitchers’ duel with the Lancers’ Matt Cattarin on Monday in a Niagara Frontier league battle at Masters Field.

“Nobody could have asked more of him,” said Lew-Port Coach Mark Waple as Cattarin and crew headed for the bus, heads high. “This was just a great game of baseball.”

Cattarin took a perfect game into the fourth inning, and gave up three hits overall. An error on a difficult chance led to two unearned GI runs.

Lew-Port (4-5 NFL) rattled the Niagara U-bound Klock for five hits, four of them doubles, one by Alex Nowocien on the game’s first pitch. The Lancers had come in with three straight league wins.

“Lew-Port can hit,” GI coach Dean Santorio said.

With eight strikeouts and no walks, Klock dominated, but “some guys are going to reach you,” Santorio said. “That’s just baseball.”

Nowocien and Mike Cuddahee each doubled twice for the Lancers. All four balls were solidly hit; just one other Lancer batter reached the outfield. Lew-Port went 0-10 with runners in scoring position.

After Cattarin had retired nine in a row, Viking Chris Moody started the fourth with a swinging bunt that Cattarin juggled slightly, then threw wildly to first. Klock walked. After a wild pitch, Nick Kellner delivered an RBI grounder and Korey Hagen singled just past the reach of the shortstop Nowocien, who all but grew tentacles trying to keep it in the infield.

Klock doubled in the sixth but Cudahee’s throw from center field prevented another run. Hagen started a 4-6-3 double play for Grand Island (8-1 NFL) in the sixth and Klock backed up to spear a game-ending popup.